How to improve your life

October 25, 2013

Not that I would want to turn this into a fitness or dieting blog but the fact is that I’m not happy with my body and the way it’s been functioning. When I lived in Lisbon 3 and a half years ago I walked everywhere. Walking was not only necessary to get to places but also a pleasure. I lived in a very central area so walking around was something I did often, to meet with friends, go shopping, etc. I also walked home from the office every day, and that equated to at least 2 miles. I also went dancing almost every weekend, which can be a workout in itself. I ate well and didn’t really have to deprive myself of anything.

Then I moved to England. I was told by a few friends that I would most likely gain weight and at the time I didn’t believe them. Nonsense! I thought. Well, turns out that they were right. Not only I gained weight (about 1 stone of it) but most importantly I lost any semblance of fitness I had and trust me, it wasn’t a lot. I don’t think my diet has changed all that much – chips and chocolates are everywhere in this country but I rarely touch them as I’m not that fussed. What changed was that I stopped walking.

I live in a small rural town and to be honest, there isn’t much to see. By the time I leave work at 5 the only places that are open are the pubs, the 24 hour supermarket and not much else. There are nice countryside trails to explore but to do it you have to drive there. As you know, I don’t own a car and I wouldn’t do it on my own or after dark anyway. So as you see, not a lot of places to walk around (not to mention that the cold here is a real bitch during most of the year!). Walking was once an enjoyable experience and now it’s just boring.

So I am now trying to lose weight (don’t tell me that I am not fat, I know I am not, I just want to lose what I gained and feel myself again) and get back into feeling fitter and more energetic. I don’t appreciate that when I finally spend a day walking somewhere, all I want to do is fall asleep and it takes me a day to recover.

Recently I felt so much stress I felt like running to release it but decided against it due to not having the proper footwear (unbelievable, right?). You see, I had a bad experience running with the wrong shoes a few years ago – my knees were hurting for 2 weeks and that’s not good as once the knees go you’re screwed for the rest of your life. It was a real shame as going out running along the river with Caroline was extremely enjoyable!

Last week I decided to not buy another pair of heels and invest in a decent pair of running shoes. I went to the local Sports Direct shop (one of the few shops that stays open after 5) and bought myself these Adidas Kanadia babies. I love them and I’m going to try running once again. Wish me luck!

Don’t forget to strecht before and after! Don’t over do it!
Plus if it’s ok with you – here’s a little tip – Choose low Glycemic index foods – I guarantee a weight lost and you won’t feel hungry at all –
I do and I’m able to maintain my weight -I walk a lot too, do yoga and walk/run on a treadmill 2x a week –

I know extly what you mean. I put on weight when I stopped walking because of my knee, and now I have to get back to the right wheight, but when to start is the problem, ahhhhhhhhhhhhh
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Good for you for taking the first step to getting active again. I’m sorry that you don’t have the pleasure of walking each day as you used to. I’ve never owned a car and I walk everywhere like you did in Lisbon, so I actually get antsy if I don’t walk enough each day.
My former colleague, Dr. Michael Greger, has some great short videos on nutrition. Here are the ones on weight loss: http://nutritionfacts.org/topics/weight-loss/. As you may have seen on my blog, I took his advice regarding flax seeds and sensitive skin and now I’m cured of an itchy skin problem that I’d been afflicted with for decades.

Shoes are sooooooooo important. And those are beauties. Sara, you are so funny. While you’re singing PonPonPon I hope you’re wearing bones and birds and bananas in your hair and doing the Way Way dance. That should burn a few calories. LUV!!!!

I totally can relate and have decided to give jogging another go. I would stop working out every time I travelled and when someone told me running is the only thing you can do everywhere I realized he was totally right.

I love walking but when I work or go to events I spend my times mostly in public transportation so I don’t move a lot. When I get home I’m behind the computer. I’m not sure if I gained but I notice it in my energy level. When I travel all I do is walking and my energy is sky high! But when you know and live in a place you don’t take the time to walk and re-discover your city.

Hello, nice to meet you!

Sara Doucette is a frequent blogger and an occasional illustrator. She spends 50% of time daydreaming of art projects and petting random cats on the street and the other 50% documenting it all on Instagram.